Vaccine preventable diseases and immunisation programmes
Northern Ireland offers a comprehensive vaccination programme, free for eligible individuals based on age or risk group, to protect against serious diseases. Learn about vaccines and access information on immunisation and vaccinations programmes on nidirect page in addition to the PHA resources for Northern Ireland.
Vaccination programmes offered in Northern Ireland
The Department of Health selects vaccination programmes based on expert advice, and delivery involves collaboration between healthcare providers, public health experts, and other organisations.These include government departments, public health experts, academic researchers, commissioners, pharmacists, school health teams, health visitors and GPs.
Programme types:
- Universal - offered to everyone (e.g., school-based programmes)
- Targeted - for those at higher risk (e.g., pregnancy, or elderly programmes)
Preschool vaccine programmes
- Childhood immunisation
- Childhood immunisation programme
- BCG vaccination for babies
- Measles, mumps and rubella (MMR)
- Vaccines for children
School based vaccine programmes
- MenACWY vaccination for teenagers and students
- HPV vaccine for adolescents aged 12 to 13 years old
- Immunisation for teenagers between 14 and 18 years old
Pregnancy vaccine programmes
- Vaccinations in pregnancy
- Whooping cough vaccination for pregnant women
- Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) vaccine for pregnant women
Elderly vaccine programmes
Targeted programmes for adults, children and HSC occupational health
- COVID-19 vaccine safety
- COVID-19 vaccine
- Flu vaccination
- Influenza (flu) vaccine programme
- HPV vaccine for men who have sex with men
Key programme: Influenza (flu)
The Influenza (flu) vaccine programme is the largest, most comprehensive programme, running from October to March for:
- Children
- Adults
- Health and social care workers
Vaccination programmes advice and schedules:
Childhood immunisations and schedules
Childhood immunisations
Protecting children from an early age is vital to their health.
- For infants and children under 2 years: Vaccines in this age provide protection against diseases such as Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, hepatitis B, Hib, MMR, Men B, Men C, pneumococcal, rotavirus, BCG, influenza Resources: Childhood immunisation programme
- For preschool children ( aged 2- 4 years): Children in this age group should receive booster vaccines to strengthen their immunity against serious illnesses such as diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, MMR.
- For 12–13 year olds: Children in this age group should receive booster vaccines for diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, MenACWY, MMR, and get started on HPV: Resources: Factsheet on MenACWY immunisation for teenagers; Factsheet on HPV vaccine for children in Year 9 and 10; HPV vaccine training slides 2019 15_8_19.pptx
- For 11-18 year olds: HPV vaccine: protects against the human papillornavirus, which can lead to certain cancers.
- For 14-18 years old: these include boosters and additional vaccines to maintain long-term immunity.
- Those attending University for the first time: First-time university attendees are encouraged to ensure they are fully vaccinated, including protection against meningitis.
There are vaccines to protect children against:
- flu
- diphtheria (D)(external link opens in a new window / tab)
- tetanus (T)
- pertussis (whooping cough); Pertussis (whooping cough includes infants, children, pregnant women)
- polio (IPV)(external link opens in a new window / tab)
- haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)
- hepatitis B
- measles
- mumps
- rubella
- meningococcal disease (groups A, C, W and Y); Factsheet on MenACWY immunisation for teenager
- meningococcal disease (group B); Fact sheet on meningitis B immunisation
- pneumococcal infection (PCV)
- human papillomavirus (HPV)
- rotavirus; Factsheet on rotavirus immunisation
Parental webinars:
- General childhood immunisation guidelines for parents (webinar in English)
- General childhood immunisation guidelines for parents (translation slides in Bulgarian - Romany)
- General childhood immunisation guidelines for parents (translation slides in Romanian - Romany)
MMR vaccine:
- Protects your child against measles, mumps and rubella (German measles).
- Given as a single injection containing three vaccines.
- Schedule: 1st dose: just after your child's first birthday, 2nd dose: at three years and four months old.
- Why it's important: Measles, mumps and rubella can cause severe complications. Early vaccination is critical to keep your child safe. Click for more information and advice on MMR.
- Measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) | nidirect
Childhood immunisation schedule
| Age due | Vaccines that protect against | Vaccine given | |
| 8 weeks old | Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), polio, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and hepatitis B | DTaP/IPV/Hib/He (6 in 1 vaccine) - one injection | |
| Meningococcal group B (MenB) | MenB - one injection | ||
| Rotavirus gastroenteritis | Rotavirus - orally | ||
| 12 weeks old | Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), polio, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and hepatitis B | DTaP/IPV/Hib/He (6 in 1 vaccine) - one injection | |
| Meningococcal group B (MenB) | MenB - one injection | ||
| Rotavirus gastroenteritis | Rotavirus - orally | ||
| 16 weeks old | Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), polio, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and hepatitis B | DTaP/IPV/Hib/He (6 in 1 vaccine) - one injection | |
| Pneumococcal (13 serotypes) • if received pneumococcal at 12 weeks give Men B | PCV - one injection | ||
| Age due | Vaccines that protect against | Vaccine given | |
| One year old (on or after the child’s first birthday) | Born before 1 July 2024 | Born on or after 1 July 2024 | |
| Pneumococcal | Pneumococcal | PCV - one injection | |
| Measles, mumps, rubella | Measles, mumps, rubella | MMR - one injection | |
| MenB | MenB | MenB - one injection | |
| Hib/MenC (if Hib/MenC exhausted give DTaP/Hib/IPV/HepB) | Hib/MenC - one injection | ||
| 18 months | No appointment | DTaP/IPV/Hib/HepB | DTaP/IPV/Hib/HepB - one injection |
| Measles, mumps, rubella | MMR - one injection | ||
| 3 years 4 months old or soon after | Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and polio | Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and polio | dTaP/IPV - one injection |
| Measles, mumps, rubella | MMR - one injection | ||
| Boys and girls aged 12 to 13 years | Cancers and genital warts caused by specific human papillomavirus (HPV) types | HPV - one injection | |
| 14 years old (school Year 9) | Tetanus, diphtheria and polio | Td/IPV - one injection | |
| Meningococcal groups A, C, W and Y | MenACWY - one injection | ||
| Eligible paediatric age group See annual flu letter | Influenza (each year from September) | LAIV (Live attenuated influenza vaccine • If LAIV is contraindicated o otherwise unsuitable use inactivated flu vaccine (check Green Book chapter 19 for details) - injection or nasal spray | |
Selective childhood immunisation programmes
| Target group | Age and schedule | Disease | Vaccines required |
| Babies born to mothers with hepatitis B | At birth, 4 weeks if born before 1 July 2024 give additional dose at one year | Hepatitis B | Hepatitis B (Engerix B/HBvaxPRO) |
| Infants in areas of the country with TB incidence >= 40/100,000 | Around 28 days old | Tuberculosis | BCG Check SCID screening outcome before giving BCG |
| Infants with a parent or grandparent born in a high incidence country | Around 28 days old | Tuberculosis | BCG Check SCID screening outcome before giving BCG |
| Children in a clinical risk group | Age under 2 years • if first ever flu vaccine give second dose at 4 weeks | Influenza | Inactivated flu vaccine |
| Aged 2 to 8 years • if first ever flu vaccine give second dose at 4 weeks | LAIV • if LAIV contraindicated or otherwise unsuitable give inactivated flu | ||
| Aged 9 to17 years • only one dose required each flu season | LAIV • if LAIV contraindicated or otherwise unsuitable give inactivated flu | ||
| Pregnant women | At any stage of pregnancy during flu season | Influenza | Inactivated flu vaccine |
| From 16 weeks gestation | Pertussis | Tdap (ADACEL) | |
| From 28 weeks gestation | RSV | RSV vaccine (Abrysvo) |
Changes to the childhood immunisation schedule - effective July 2025
Effective 1 July 2025, the childhood immunisation (vaccination) schedule in Northern Ireland will be updated.
This offers children even better protection against infectious diseases such as measles and meningitis.
Childhood immunisation schedule changes and translations (leaflet) | HSC Public Health Agency
Childhood immunisation programme changes | nidirect
Changes to childhood schedule newsletter - Issue 1, 30 June 2025 (newsletter)
Incomplete vaccination status
Eligibility Calculator
Vaccination during pregnancy and recommended schedule
Vaccination during pregnancy helps protect both mother and baby.
Vaccination during pregnancy can help prevent disease or make illness less serious for you, and for your baby. This is because the antibodies (natural substances your body produces to fight infection) are passed to your unborn baby, helping to protect them in their first few weeks of life.
Key advice and resources:
- Schedule of antenatal appointments and recommended vaccinations | HSC Public Health Agency
- Vaccinations in pregnancy | nidirect
- Vaccinations in pregnancy - NHS
Flu (influenza)
RSV
- How to protect your baby from RSV | HSC Public Health Agency
- RSV – it’s not just a winter vaccine | HSC Public Health Agency
- Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) vaccine for pregnant women | nidirect
- RSV vaccination training slides_maternal programme for infant protection 08.2024.pptx
Whooping cough (Pertussis)
- Whooping Cough (Pertussis) immunisation - Leaflet | HSC Public Health Agency
- Whooping cough vaccination for pregnant women | nidirect
Protecting your baby from:
- Hepatitis B: what your positive screening result means (English and translations) | HSC Public Health Agency
- Your rubella (German measles) screening test result - What you need to know (English and translations) | HSC Public Health Agency
Pregnancy webinars
Recommended schedule:
| Vaccine | When to have the vaccine |
Whooping Cough (Pertussis) immunisation
| Offered from 16 weeks. The best time to have the whooping cough vaccine is from 16 to 32 weeks of pregnancy. You can have it up until your baby is born, but it may be less effective later in pregnancy. |
| How to protect your baby from RSV | Offered from 28 weeks. The best time to have the RSV vaccine is from 28 to 36 weeks of pregnancy. You can have it up until your baby is born, but it may be less effective later in pregnancy. |
| Influenza (flu) vaccine | Offered during flu season (which may be at any time during your pregnancy). You should have the flu vaccine as soon as it is offered to you. |
| COVID-19 (coronavirus) | Offered during COVID-19 season in line with government guidance (which may be at any time during your pregnancy). You should have the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as it is offered to you. |
Vaccination for older adults (aged 65 years and over)
Different immunisations are available for adults aged 65 years and over.
Vaccinations play crucial role in protecting older adults from age-related health risks.
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)
- Your guide to the RSV vaccine for older adults | HSC Public Health Agency
- Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) vaccination programme launches in Northern Ireland | HSC Public Health Agency
- Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) vaccine for older adults | nidirect
Flu (influenza) and COVID-19
- Flu is more serious than you think (English and translations) | HSC Public Health Agency
- Flu vaccine | nidirect
- COVID-19 Vaccination Programme questions and answers | HSC Public Health Agency
- Coronavirus (COVID-19): vaccine safety | nidirect
Shingles
Targeted programmes (children and adults)
Targeted programmes
BCG (tuberculosis)
Hepatitis B
- Includes: Universal hepatitis B programme and hepatitis B vaccine for at risk babies
- Resources: Clinical guidelines on hepatitis B
Influenza (flu)
- Includes: Children, adults, pregnant women and healthcare workers
- Resources: Flu resources for professionals
Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM)
- HPV vaccination for gay, bisexual or other men who have sex with men | HSC Public Health Agency
- HPV vaccine for men who have sex with men | nidirect
- Gonorrhoea vaccination programme for Northern Ireland | HSC Public Health Agency
- A guide to the Meningococcal B vaccine for protection against gonorrhoea | HSC Public Health Agency
Pregnant women
- Includes: Flu, pertussis, MMR, hepatitis B and syphilis advice
Shingles
- The shingles vaccine - to help protect you from the pain of shingles | HSC Public Health Agency
- Shingles vaccine | nidirect
- Resources: Factsheet on shingles vaccination
Splenectomy
- Includes: MenACWY, pneumococcal, flu
- Resources: Factsheet on splenectomy
Travel vaccines and travel health advice
For travel health advice and travel vaccines, visit: